Tuesday, 6 October 2009

A typical day of an average Dubai expat starts with a jogging session or a visit to the gym. Then they go to work. Most of the Dubai expatriates have their own vehicles. It is very easy to buy a vehicle in Dubai. Anyone can apply for a vehicle loan. Interest is next to nothing.

Dubai is not a very big city. However, traffic can be an issue if you stay far from the working place. It is wise to select your accommodation closer to the working place.

Some expats prefer to go to the gym or go for a jog in the evening. Some will spend the evening hanging around in a shopping mall or a nightclub.

Restaurants in Dubai deliver food free of charge. Most of Dubai expatriates do not cook. They order food or simply walk to a restaurant. Restaurants can be found within walking distance in most of the areas.

Weekends

Friday is the weekend in Dubai. Usually nightclubs are crowded on Thursday and Friday nights. Some expats prefer to have a barbecue with their friends. There are plenty of places with barbecue facilities in Dubai. Parks and beaches are few of the places. Most of the Dubai expatriates are doing their weekly shopping on weekends. There are many mega malls in Dubai.

Fishing, going to a movie, go and relax in a beach or a park are few of other options available for Dubai expats.

Accommodation

Most of Dubai expats are living in apartments. The size and number of bedrooms will depend on the size of the family and the income. Apartments are the cheapest and the most popular accommodation type in Dubai. Most of the apartment buildings are nearly new and clean. There are furnished and non-furnished apartments.

High-paid Dubai expatriates are living in Villas. Usually, this is not affordable to an average Dubai expat.

Dubai does not have residential areas or suburbs. Many apartment buildings can be found among office buildings. Therefore most of the Dubai expats are living within a walking distance from the work place.

TV

Dubai has few TV channels. Only one channel is showing foreign movies and good programs. Most of Dubai expats are using paid TV channels like Fox.

Type of Dubai expats

Dubai is full of expatriates. Majority of the Dubai expats are Indians and south Asian nationals such as Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and Bangladeshis. There are many Phillipine nationals also can be seen.

Majority of the Europeans are from UK. US, Canadian, South African and Australian are the other major nationals among vast variety of Dubai expatriates.

Lifestyle of expat woman Dubai

You can design your own lifestyle. It is up to you. If you like bars, pubs and nightclubs then there are plenty in Dubai. If you want to join a particular club (sports, hobbies etc) then there are many registered and unregistered clubs in Dubai. If you are addicted to shopping then there is no better place in the world than Dubai for shopping.

Religions and expat woman in Dubai

Islam is the main religion in Dubai. However, Dubai has limited number of churches (catholic and Christian), Hindu temples etc. There are also different religious groups that you can join and work with. They are organizing various activities for relevant communities.

Work life

There is no difference to any other western country. Expat women are allowed to work in any industry in Dubai. Some expat women in Dubai are holding very senior positions. There is no limit or restrictions as far as the country is concerned.

Sports for Dubai expat woman

Dubai has facilities to enjoy most of the main sports with latest equipment. Either it is Tennis or Bowling, you fill find a place to play just around the corner. Most of the new residential apartment complexes are equipped with swimming pools, Gym and Tennis courts.

TV and DVD

There are only few free English TV channels in Dubai. Most of the expats are using cable TV. There are many cable TV providers in Dubai. Some are providing country specific channels.

Video and DVD rentals are freely available in Dubai. If you are an expatriate woman Dubai and want to watch specific types of movies (either Hollywood or Bollywood) the shop is just a short stroll away.

There are world-class theatres in Dubai. Most of the major Hollywood movies are shown in Dubai as soon as they were released in USA.

What you can do on weekends?

There are plenty of weekend activities available for Dubai expat women. The most popular among expats is having a barbecue in a beach or in a park. Barbecue facilities are commonly available in parks and beaches.

You can go to a beach and have a nice sea bath and relax. Jumeirah beach has enough space to accommodate a lot. Satwa, Al Mamzar, Jebel Ali are other popular beaches in Dubai. You can wear bikinis and general swimwear in Dubai beaches.

There are many attractions in Dubai that you can visit during the weekend. Visit Dubai short break page for a list of places to visit and things to do in Dubai.

Important information for expat woman Dubai

· Remember, alcohol is prohibited in public places.

· Do not drink and drive. Fines in Dubai are ruthless.

· Do not eat or drink anything (including smoking) outside during the Ramadan fasting period.

· Understand the law in Dubai very well. Ask if you do not know about a specific subject. If you are working then the PRO of your office is the best person to ask.

· Respect the local Arabic culture and religion. This is the most sensitive subject in Dubai. Do not cross the limit.

You won’t feel a big difference when you become an expat woman in Dubai. The Dubai community is comprises of many nationalities. You are not a stranger to Dubai. I am sure you will feel the same.

Top Five International Schools in Dubai

There are International schools in Dubai to cater expatriates from various countries. The cost can vary dramatically depending on the standard of the school. Here is a review of top five Dubai international schools.

Nowadays most countries have international schools that provide educational facilities to the children of foreigners in their country. In the same way, Dubai also has many international schools. The number and size of the international schools depend on the population of the expatriates and the number of local students enrolled in these schools.

Both expatriates and the local children willing to be enrolled are in large numbers in Dubai. This is the reason Dubai is witnessing mushrooming of international schools. Some of the famous international schools of this city are Dubai British School, Raffles International School, United International School, Varkey International Private School, Wellington International School, American School and so on.

Dubai British school

Dubai British School is located on the hills of Emirates. It’s a co-educational school for children of age between 3 to 18 years. To be a faculty in this school one should have at least two years of teaching experience. The curriculum of this school is same as that of Britain and Wales. The school takes care of the different stages of the children and there is a standard assessment test for the children to maintain the quality of the school. There is a provision of foundation course to match with the standard of the British school.

British English School

One more school in British pattern of education is British English School founded by Sheikh Rashid to fulfill the requirement of international schools in Dubai. It is a non-profit school for the children of expatriates and outsiders. A Board of Governors governs the school and the children of this school are given diverse opportunities and experiences in different fields. It provides opportunities to develop not only academically, but also create an ambience for all round development of the child.

Wellington International School

Based in the Al Sufouh of Dubai, this is one of the most famous international schools. It enrolls children between age group of 3 to 18. The school provides advanced educational facilities. Some of the facilities available in this school are large sports hall, health and fitness club, gym, swimming pool, dance club, tennis and basket ball courts and running tracks.

The capacity of this school is more than 1500 students. Students are provided virtual learning environment with all hi- tech facilities. This school also follows national curriculum of England.

Etisalat

Etisalat is the only company in Dubai, which is authorized to provide telecommunications and Internet services in the United Arab Emirates. Established in 1976, it has built up state-of-the-art telecom infrastructure and taken a leadership position of innovation and reliability among regional and international operators.

The Middle East magazine has ranked Etisalat first in the United Arab Emirates and fourth in the Middle East among the top 100 companies, based on its financial performance and capital growth. It was ranked as the 6th best performing Arab company by ‘Forbes Arabia’ magazine for the year 2006, which included more than 1600 Arab joint stock companies in various sectors.

American School of Dubai

This school is co-educational and follows national curriculum of America. It is located in the suburban area of Dubai. The textbooks of USA are provided in this school. This school is facilitated with e- governance and all the instructions are on computers. To be faculty of this school it is necessary to have at least four years of teaching experience in America.

Apple International School in Dubai

Established in year 1994, the Apple International School follows the British national curriculum. The school has divided its classes in three different stages called kindergarten, junior and senior level. In addition to the academic part, the school has excelled itself in providing all the sports and cultural activities to its students.

Thus, foreigners working in Dubai don’t have to worry about the future of their children. Dubai is well versed with all necessary infrastructural requirements for the expatriates. The variety of international schools in Dubai will help to find a fit for your child.